FY2027
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Excludes1 pair

S44.0- vs S54.0-

S44.0 and S54.0 are not coded together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note — the two conditions are not expected to occur together, so exactly one of them is normally correct for a given encounter. The Official Guidelines carve out one exception: if the two conditions are clearly unrelated to each other, both may be reported.

The official note, declared on S44.0
ulnar nerve NOS (S54.0)
S44.0

Injury of ulnar nerve at upper arm level

Not billable
Chapter 19
Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
Section
S40-S49
Indexed under
  • Injury › nerve NEC › ulnar › arm (upper) (level)
S54.0

Injury of ulnar nerve at forearm level

Not billable
Chapter 19
Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
Section
S50-S59
Use when the record says
  • Injury of ulnar nerve NOS
Indexed under
  • Injury › nerve NEC › ulnar (forearm level)

Excludes1 is not always absolute: where two conditions covered by the note are genuinely unrelated, CMS guidance permits reporting both. Document the reasoning rather than assuming it. More on Excludes1 vs Excludes2 · FY2027